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A.7 - Banding
A.7.1 - The ability is written as "Banding". On older cards, the ability was written as "Bands". [D'Angelo 1998/02/03]
A.7.2 - Banding consists of two separate abilities, which can be referred to as "mutual assistance" and "damage sharing". [D'Angelo 1998/02/03]
A.7.3 - Mutual assistance only applies to attacking creatures. It is an agreement that if any one of the attackers is blocked, that the whole "band" will stop and gang up on the blocker(s). [D'Angelo 1998/02/03]
A.7.4 - When declaring attackers, any number of Banding creatures and up to one creature without Banding may be grouped together in an attacking "band". [CompRules 2001/07/23 - 502.10b]
A.7.5 - Use of Banding to attack is optional. [Fifth Edition, Page 29]
A.7.6 - Use of Banding to form an attacking band ends at the end of combat. [CompRules 2001/07/23 - 502.10d]
A.7.7 - If Banding is removed from an attacker after the attacking band is declared, the band will still stay together. A creature that is removed from combat, however, leaves the band. [CompRules 2001/07/23 - 502.10d]
A.7.8 - If any creature blocks a member of an attacking band, then the creature is also considered to be block all other members of that band, even if the creature could not normally block those other creatures. [CompRules 2001/07/23 - 502.10e] If any member of the band is blocked by a spell or ability, the entire band becomes blocked. [CompRules 2001/07/23 - 502.10g]
A.7.9 - Each attacking creature is a separate source of damage. The creatures are not lumped together into one large source. [CompRules 2001/07/23 - 502.10f]
A.7.10 - Creatures do not gain or lose abilities when banded to attack. They each keep their separate abilities and identity. [CompRules 2001/07/23 - 502.10f]
A.7.11 - Damage sharing only applies when combat damage (see Rule C.1.
is assigned. [D'Angelo 1998/02/03]
A.7.12 - When assigning damage in combat (on either attack or defense), if at least one creature with Banding ability is present in a group of creatures which are blocked by or which are blocking the same creature, then the group of creatures is subject to damage sharing. [CompRules 2001/07/23 - 502.10h]
A.7.13 - Combat damage is divided among a damage sharing group of creatures by the controller of those creatures. This is opposite to the normal case where damage is assigned by the controller of the creatures which are dealing the damage (see Rule C.5). [Fifth Edition, Page 29]
A.7.14 - Damage sharing is not optional. [D'Angelo 1998/02/03]
A.7.15 - Damage can be assigned among the creatures in any legal way desired. It is legal to put zero damage on some and to put more damage than a creature's toughness on another, as long as all of the damage is assigned to a creature. [Fifth Edition, Page 30]
A.7.16 - Banding is a static, non-cumulative ability. See Rule A.1.2. [CompRules 2001/07/23 - 502.10a/10i]
A.7.Ruling.1 - To block an attacking band with a creature, your blocker only needs to be able to block one member of the band for mutual assistance to take effect. For example, a Mesa Pegasus banded with a Fear-enchanted Scathe Zombies can be blocked by either a flying creature (by blocking the Mesa Pegasus) or a black or artifact creature (by blocking the Scathe Zombies). [D'Angelo 1998/02/03]
A.7.Ruling.2 - Creatures do not "band for defense". Even without banding, multiple creatures can block a single attacker. Creatures are assigned as blockers individually. Banding only affects the damage sharing. [D'Angelo 1998/02/03]
A.7.Ruling.3 - If a Banding creature dies before damage is assigned, then it does not count towards determining if damage sharing applies. [CompRules 2001/07/23 - 502.10h]
A.7.Ruling.4 - You can declare multiple separate "bands" of attackers. [CompRules 2001/07/23 - 502.10c]
A.8 - Bands with Other
A.8.1 - The ability is written as "bands with other <-creature type->". [CompRules 2001/07/23 - 502.11b]
A.8.2 - When declaring attackers, creatures with Bands with Other ability may "band" together, as per the normal Banding rules (see Rule A.7.3 through Rule A.7.10), with any number of creatures which either have Banding or have the same "bands with other <-creature type->" ability. [CompRules 2001/07/23 - 502.11b]
A.8.3 - Use of Bands with Other to form an attacking band is optional. [D'Angelo 1998/02/03]
A.8.4 - Use of Bands with Other to form an attacking band ends at the end of combat. [CompRules 2001/07/23 - 502.11a]
A.8.5 - When assigning damage in combat (on either attack or defense), if at least two creatures with the same "bands with other <-creature type->" ability are present in a group of creatures, the group is treated as if a Banding creature were present (see Rule A.7.11 through Rule A.7.15). [CompRules 2001/07/23 - 502.11c]
A.8.6 - If Bands with Other is removed from an attacker after the attacking band is declared, the band will still stay together. [CompRules 2001/07/23 - 502.11a]
A.8.7 - Bands with Other is a static, non-cumulative ability. See Rule A.1.2. [CompRules 2001/07/23 - 502.11a]
A.8.8 - If a spell or ability causes a permanent to lose Banding, then it loses all Bands with Other ability as well. This is because Bands with Other is just a limited form of Banding. [CompRules 2001/07/23 - 502.11a]
Note - The Bands with Other ability was introduced in the Legends expansion set and has not appeared in any other expansion.
